Homicides Down, Aggravated Assaults Up In Alexandria: Report

ALEXANDRIA, VA—New data from the FBI shows that some Part I crimes, or serious crimes against people, were down in Alexandria last year. The Alexandria Police Department announced the 2018 data for Part I crimes on Wednesday.

Part I crimes as defined by the FBI "are serious crimes, they occur with regularity in all areas of the country, and they are likely to be reported to police." These include homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny and auto theft.

Part I crimes overall dropped from 2,694 to 2,648 from 2017 to 2018. It was the fifth straight year Alexandria has seen the crime rate trend downward.

"Reducing crime is and will always be our top priority," said Alexandria Police Chief Michael Brown in a statement. "Throughout the year we work closely with community members and groups to reduce and prevent crime. Protecting lives and providing safety for the public is key to ensuring our City remains a vibrant and healthy community."

Homicide was one of four offenses that decreased in 2018. There were four homicides in 2018, two less than the previous year. Robberies, burglaries and larcenies decreased as well.

While the Part I crime rate overall dropped, there were increases for three types of offenses: rape, aggravated assault and auto theft. Aggravated assaults also increased in the previous year.

The table below shows the full data for Part I crimes in Alexandria. Since Alexandria's crime rate is generally low, small changes in crime numbers can reflect high percentage changes.